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CHAPTER 4 ANALYSIS
In this chapter, the writer presents the analysis of the novel in order to look for the answers to the problem formulated in the first chapter. First, the character
and the personality of Gregor Samsa, the main character of the novel is analyzed based on the novel. Second, the writer will find out the meaning of The
Metamorphosis as experienced by Gregor Samsa. In this part the literal and the true meanings will be revealed based on the story.
4. 1. An Analysis on Gregor Samsa’s Character
Before discussing the detail about the meaning of The Metamorphosis, a brief description of Gregor’s characters is given. In order to get a complete
understanding about Gregor’s characters, the theory of the character shown in the first chapter will be mentioned again in this discussion.
Robert Santon in An Introduction to Fiction 1965 says that the term character in a novel particularly is used for a person that is created by an author in
the story of a novel, play or drama. The character also refers to a mixture of all the mental qualities such as principles, value, desires, emotions and interests that
build each of an individual’s personality p.17. The same opinion is conveyed by Abrams in A Glosary of Literary Terms 1981. He argues that the characters are
persons, in a dramatic or narrative work, endowed with moral and dispositional qualities that are expressed in what they say and what they do p. 21. While M.J.
24 Murphy 1972 in Understanding Unseens: An Introduction to English Poetry and
Novel, proposes nine ways to understand the character. They are personal description, character as seen by another, speech, past life, conversation of others,
reaction, direct comment and thought pp. 161-173. Gregor Samsa in this novel is portrayed as a complex human being. His
character is dominantly known by his speech especially when he speaks to himself, the conversation of the family members and the comment of people
around him. From all of these, Gregor is known as an obedient, diligent and a lovable person. He is also a lonely and isolated person.
4. 1.1. Obedient
A special character of Gregor is his obedience as a son. Before his metamorphosis to a verminous bug, his family respects him because he takes care
of his family by working in a travelling company which his father fails to work in. As a son, he has to find the money to pay off his father’s debt to the boss of the
company. “Anyway, I haven’t completely given up that hope yet. Once I’ve got together the money to pay off the parents’ debt to him—that should take another
five or six years—I’ll do it for sure.”Franz Kafka, The Metamorphosis, p. 11. Though he hates his job, he believes that his family depends entirely on
him for a living. For this reason he has to sacrifice all of his time whatever it takes, even his life, helping the family to survive.
‘O God,’ he thought, ‘what a demanding job I’ve chosen Day in,day out on the road. The stresses of trade are much greater than the work going on
at head office, and, in addition to that, I have to cope with the problems of traveling, the worries about train connections, irregular bad food,
25 temporary and constantly changing human relationships which never come
from the heart. To hell with it all p. 10.
The quotation above tells that Gregor has been working under pressure both mental and physical. Being a travelling salesman of course is a difficult work
because Gregor has to go around to different palaces to find customers to whom he can sell his product. Travelling around these different places wastes Gregor’s
energy but he has never skipped his work. He always goes to his office without being absent even for a day. Although it is difficult and the work does not come
from his heart, he has to do the job for the sake of the responsibility to his family. Gregor knows that a travelling salesman who is outside the office almost
the entire year can become so easily a victim of gossip, coincidences and groundless complaints but he cannot live without it. On the other hand his concern
is for his parents and their life, so he has to do all of these things as a responsibility to his family as a son.
Travelling is exhausting, but I couldn’t live without it. I am really indebted to Mr. Chief. On the other hand, I am concerned about my parents and my
sister. I’m in fix, but I’ll work myself out of it again. Don’t make things more difficult for me then they already are. Speak up on my behalf in the
office People don’t like travelling salesman. I know that p. 26.
Shortly, he makes this as an obedient son. He does not care whatever it takes only the family is in his mind.
4. 1.2. Hard working
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